Joshua 1 Study Notes: Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel
With Moses dead, the LORD commissions Joshua to lead Israel across the river and into the country promised to their ancestors. God pledges His presence, calls Joshua to courage and careful obedience to the law, and the eastern tribes agree to fight alongside their brothers.
General
After Moses died, what did the LORD first command Joshua to do (1:1-2)?
Answer: Get up and lead the people over the Jordan River
The book opens where Deuteronomy ends. Moses, the LORD’s servant, has died (Deuteronomy 34:5), and the LORD speaks to Joshua, the son of Nun, who had served as Moses’ helper. God tells him that Moses is gone and that Joshua must now rise up and take the whole nation over the river and into the country God is giving them (1:1-2). Joshua did not take this role on his own. God had told Moses to lay hands on Joshua and commission him before the priest and the people (Numbers 27:18-20), and after Moses died, Joshua was given wisdom through Moses’ laying on of hands, and Israel followed his lead (Deuteronomy 34:9). Joshua then had the officers tell the people to get food ready, because in three days they would cross over to take the land (1:10-11). The leader changed, but God’s plan to give the land did not.
- Joshua 1:1-2 (BSB)“Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel.”After Moses dies, the LORD speaks to Joshua and tells him to lead Israel across the Jordan.
- Deuteronomy 34:5 (BSB)“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said.”Records the death of Moses in Moab, the event with which Joshua 1 opens.
- Numbers 27:18-20 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight. Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God had already told Moses to commission Joshua publicly and give him authority over Israel.
- Deuteronomy 34:9 (BSB)“Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom through Moses’ laying on of hands, and Israel obeyed him.
Theological
What is the LORD’s opening charge to Joshua in 1:1-2?
Answer: Get up and lead the people over the Jordan River
The death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5) marks a transition in leadership but not in God’s purpose. The LORD addresses Joshua, formerly Moses’ aide, and commands him to rise and lead all the people across the river into the country He is giving Israel (1:1-2). Joshua’s authority rests on God’s appointment: the LORD had directed Moses to commission him publicly and confer authority on him (Numbers 27:18-20), and Deuteronomy 34:9 records that, endowed with wisdom through Moses’ laying on of hands, he was obeyed by Israel. Joshua promptly passes the word through the officers: the people are to ready their food, since they will cross in three days (1:10-11). The covenant promise continues under a new servant.
- Joshua 1:1-2 (BSB)“Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel.”After Moses dies, the LORD speaks to Joshua and tells him to lead Israel across the Jordan.
- Deuteronomy 34:5 (BSB)“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said.”Records the death of Moses in Moab, the event with which Joshua 1 opens.
- Numbers 27:18-20 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight. Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God had already told Moses to commission Joshua publicly and give him authority over Israel.
- Deuteronomy 34:9 (BSB)“Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom through Moses’ laying on of hands, and Israel obeyed him.
General
What promise does God give Joshua in 1:5?
Answer: That God would be with him as He had been with Moses
God tells Joshua that no one will be able to stand against him as long as he lives, and that God will be present with him just as with Moses, never leaving or abandoning him (1:5). Joshua’s confidence was to rest on God’s presence, not on his own skill. God had promised Moses the same thing when He called him at the burning bush (Exodus 3:12), and Moses repeated this promise to Joshua in front of all Israel (Deuteronomy 31:7-8). The New Testament takes the same promise and gives it to all believers, so that they can say the Lord is their helper and they need not fear (Hebrews 13:5-6).
- Joshua 1:5 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”God promises Joshua that no one will withstand him and that He will be with him as He was with Moses.
- Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses had promised Joshua before all Israel that the LORD would go before him and not abandon him.
- Exodus 3:12 (BSB)““I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.””God’s promise to be with His servant had been the foundation of Moses’ own calling.
- Hebrews 13:5-6 (BSB)“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””The New Testament applies God’s promise never to abandon His people to every believer.
Theological
What assurance about God’s presence does the LORD give Joshua in 1:5?
Answer: That God would be with him as He had been with Moses
The LORD promises Joshua lifelong invincibility before his enemies and His own unfailing presence, as it had been with Moses, never abandoning him (1:5). This is the same covenant presence that undergirded Moses’ commission (Exodus 3:12) and that Moses publicly passed on to Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:7-8). Hebrews 13:5-6 quotes the promise and applies it to the whole church: God’s pledge not to forsake His people grounds the believer’s contentment and courage. God’s keeping of His people rests on His faithfulness, not on their strength.
- Joshua 1:5 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”God promises Joshua that no one will withstand him and that He will be with him as He was with Moses.
- Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses had promised Joshua before all Israel that the LORD would go before him and not abandon him.
- Exodus 3:12 (BSB)““I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.””God’s promise to be with His servant had been the foundation of Moses’ own calling.
- Hebrews 13:5-6 (BSB)“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””The New Testament applies God’s promise never to abandon His people to every believer.
General
What reason does God give Joshua in 1:6 for being strong and brave?
Answer: Because Joshua would lead the people into the country God promised their ancestors
God commands Joshua to take courage because Joshua is the one who will lead the people to receive the land as their inheritance (a family possession passed down), the land God had promised on oath to their ancestors (1:6). Joshua’s courage was to rest on God’s oath, not on Israel’s strength. God had said the same thing when He commissioned Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:23), and years earlier He had named Joshua as the one who would lead Israel into its inheritance (Deuteronomy 1:38). At the end of the conquest the book records that God handed over the whole country promised by oath to the patriarchs and that not one of His good promises failed (Joshua 21:43-45).
- Joshua 1:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.”God grounds His call to courage in His oath to give the fathers’ land as Israel’s inheritance.
- Deuteronomy 31:23 (BSB)“Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.””The LORD had commissioned Joshua with the same call to courage and the same sworn land.
- Deuteronomy 1:38 (BSB)“Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.”God had long before named Joshua as the one who would enable Israel to inherit the land.
- Joshua 21:43-45 (BSB)“Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”The book later records that God gave all the land He swore to the fathers and that none of His good promises failed.
Theological
Why, according to 1:6, should Joshua be strong and brave?
Answer: Because Joshua would lead the people into the country God promised their ancestors
The call to strength and courage in 1:6 rests on God’s oath: Joshua will bring the people into possession of the country God promised on oath to the patriarchs. The imperative stands on a prior divine promise. The LORD had commissioned Joshua in identical terms (Deuteronomy 31:23) and had designated him long before as the one who would bring Israel into its inheritance (Deuteronomy 1:38). Joshua 21:43-45 closes the circle, recording that God gave the whole promised country and that none of His good promises failed. The book’s spine is God’s faithfulness to His covenant word.
- Joshua 1:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.”God grounds His call to courage in His oath to give the fathers’ land as Israel’s inheritance.
- Deuteronomy 31:23 (BSB)“Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.””The LORD had commissioned Joshua with the same call to courage and the same sworn land.
- Deuteronomy 1:38 (BSB)“Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.”God had long before named Joshua as the one who would enable Israel to inherit the land.
- Joshua 21:43-45 (BSB)“Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”The book later records that God gave all the land He swore to the fathers and that none of His good promises failed.
General
What land does God promise to give Israel in 1:3-4?
Answer: Wherever they set foot, as God had promised Moses
God tells Joshua that every place Israel’s feet walk on has already been given to them, exactly as He had promised Moses (1:3). He then describes wide borders, reaching from the desert and the Lebanon range to the Euphrates River and west to the Mediterranean (1:4). This was not a new idea. Moses had spoken the same promise with the same borders (Deuteronomy 11:24), and it reaches back to God’s covenant (His binding promise) with Abram, when He promised his offspring the land (Genesis 12:7) as far as the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18). God was now keeping a promise He had made centuries earlier.
- Joshua 1:3-4 (BSB)“I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.”God promises Israel every place they walk, within wide borders from the wilderness to the Euphrates and the sea.
- Deuteronomy 11:24 (BSB)“Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.”Moses had given the same promise and borders, showing that God is keeping His word to Moses.
- Genesis 15:18 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—”God’s covenant with Abram first promised his descendants land reaching to the Euphrates.
- Genesis 12:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”The land promise goes back to God’s first word to Abram in Canaan.
Theological
How does 1:3-4 describe the land God is giving Israel?
Answer: Wherever they set foot, as God had promised Moses
God declares the land already given, every place the sole of Israel’s foot will touch, in fulfillment of His word to Moses (1:3), with borders reaching from the desert and the Lebanon range to the Euphrates and the Mediterranean (1:4). The promise repeats Deuteronomy 11:24 nearly point for point and stands on the Abrahamic covenant itself, the original land grant to Abram’s offspring (Genesis 12:7) extending to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18). Joshua’s task is to enter into what God has already pledged by covenant.
- Joshua 1:3-4 (BSB)“I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.”God promises Israel every place they walk, within wide borders from the wilderness to the Euphrates and the sea.
- Deuteronomy 11:24 (BSB)“Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.”Moses had given the same promise and borders, showing that God is keeping His word to Moses.
- Genesis 15:18 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—”God’s covenant with Abram first promised his descendants land reaching to the Euphrates.
- Genesis 12:7 (BSB)“Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”The land promise goes back to God’s first word to Abram in Canaan.
General
What does God tell Joshua to do with the written law in 1:7-8?
Answer: Speak it, ponder it at all hours, and obey it
God tells Joshua to obey all the law Moses gave without turning aside in either direction (1:7). The written law was to stay on his lips, and he was to think it over constantly, by day and by night, in order to carefully do all that it says; then he would prosper and succeed (1:8). Joshua’s success as a leader would come from listening to and obeying God’s word. Moses had commanded all Israel not to swerve from God’s commands in either direction (Deuteronomy 5:32-33), and Israel’s future kings were to keep a copy of the law and read it all their lives (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). Psalm 1:2-3 describes the person who meditates on God’s law day and night as a fruitful tree who prospers.
- Joshua 1:7-8 (BSB)“Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.”God ties Joshua’s success to careful obedience to the law and constant meditation on it.
- Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (BSB)“So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left. You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”Moses had commanded Israel not to turn aside to the right or left from God’s commands, so that they might prosper.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”Israel’s future king was to keep a copy of the law and read it all his life.
- Psalm 1:2-3 (BSB)“But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.”The blessed man meditates on God’s law day and night and prospers in all he does.
Theological
According to 1:7-8, how is Joshua to relate to the written law of Moses?
Answer: Speak it, ponder it at all hours, and obey it
Joshua is to observe the whole law of Moses without deviating in either direction (1:7), keeping the written law in his mouth and meditating on it continually so as to do all that is written; success follows obedience (1:8). The leader of God’s people is himself under the word. Moses had given the same no-deviation command to Israel (Deuteronomy 5:32-33), and the law of the king required a lifelong reading of the law (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). Psalm 1:2-3 echoes the pattern: day-and-night meditation on the law and the prospering of the righteous. The prosperity in view is fruitfulness in God’s calling, not a promise of wealth.
- Joshua 1:7-8 (BSB)“Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.”God ties Joshua’s success to careful obedience to the law and constant meditation on it.
- Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (BSB)“So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left. You must walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”Moses had commanded Israel not to turn aside to the right or left from God’s commands, so that they might prosper.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”Israel’s future king was to keep a copy of the law and read it all his life.
- Psalm 1:2-3 (BSB)“But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.”The blessed man meditates on God’s law day and night and prospers in all he does.
General
How did the people Joshua addressed respond to his orders (1:16-18)?
Answer: They promised to obey him as they obeyed Moses
Joshua’s hearers promise to do all he commands and to go wherever he sends them. As they had obeyed Moses, so they will obey Joshua, and they pray that the LORD will be present with him as with Moses. Whoever defies his orders must die. They close by urging him, as God had, to take courage (1:16-18). Their answer shows God’s earlier work being fulfilled: He had given Joshua authority so that all Israel would obey him (Numbers 27:20), and after Moses’ death the people did obey him (Deuteronomy 34:9).
- Joshua 1:16-18 (BSB)“So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words, all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!””Joshua’s hearers pledge full obedience to Joshua, pray for God’s presence with him, and urge him to courage.
- Deuteronomy 34:9 (BSB)“Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”After Moses’ death Joshua was given wisdom, and the Israelites obeyed him.
- Numbers 27:20 (BSB)“Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God had given Joshua authority so that the whole congregation would obey him.
Theological
What is the substance of the reply Joshua receives in 1:16-18?
Answer: They promised to obey him as they obeyed Moses
The reply is a pledge of total obedience: whatever Joshua commands they will do, wherever he sends they will go, as they obeyed Moses. They add a prayer that the LORD be with him as with Moses, a sanction of death for rebellion against his word, and an echo of God’s own charge to strength and courage (1:16-18). Their response realizes the transfer of authority God had ordered (Numbers 27:20) and that Deuteronomy 34:9 records. The chapter ends with leader and people united under God’s command.
- Joshua 1:16-18 (BSB)“So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words, all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!””Joshua’s hearers pledge full obedience to Joshua, pray for God’s presence with him, and urge him to courage.
- Deuteronomy 34:9 (BSB)“Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”After Moses’ death Joshua was given wisdom, and the Israelites obeyed him.
- Numbers 27:20 (BSB)“Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God had given Joshua authority so that the whole congregation would obey him.
General
Joshua speaks of the LORD giving Israel rest in the land (1:13-15). How does Hebrews 4:8-9 view that rest?
Answer: The rest under Joshua was real, but God later spoke of another day of rest to come
Joshua reminds the eastern tribes that the LORD had promised them rest, meaning peace and security in their own land, and that their brothers must receive the same rest (1:13-15). God kept this promise: the book later says God gave Israel peace from enemies all around (21:44), and Joshua sends the eastern tribes home because their brothers now had rest (22:4). Yet Hebrews 4:8-9 explains that this rest in Canaan was not the last word. Had Joshua brought them into the final rest, God would not afterward have spoken about a further day, so a Sabbath rest still remains for God’s people. The rest in the land was real, and it pointed ahead to the greater rest God gives His people.
- Joshua 1:13 (BSB)““Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’”Joshua recalls Moses’ word that the LORD would give the eastern tribes rest and this land.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The book records that the LORD gave Israel rest on every side, as He had sworn.
- Joshua 22:4 (BSB)“And now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as He promised them, you may return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you across the Jordan.”Joshua later sends the eastern tribes home because the LORD has given their brothers rest.
- Hebrews 4:8-9 (BSB)“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”Hebrews teaches that Joshua’s rest was not the final one, since a Sabbath rest still remains for God’s people.
Theological
How does Hebrews 4:8-9 interpret the rest promised in 1:13-15?
Answer: The rest under Joshua was real, but God later spoke of another day of rest to come
The promise of rest in 1:13-15, recalled from Moses, is fulfilled within the book: God grants peace from enemies all around (21:44), and the eastern tribes are released when their brothers have rest (22:4). Hebrews 4:8-9 reads this fulfillment as genuine but penultimate: if the final rest had come through Joshua, God would not later have spoken of another day; therefore a Sabbath rest still awaits God’s people. The land-rest under Joshua is a real gift that also foreshadows the final rest secured for God’s people.
- Joshua 1:13 (BSB)““Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’”Joshua recalls Moses’ word that the LORD would give the eastern tribes rest and this land.
- Joshua 21:44 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”The book records that the LORD gave Israel rest on every side, as He had sworn.
- Joshua 22:4 (BSB)“And now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as He promised them, you may return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you across the Jordan.”Joshua later sends the eastern tribes home because the LORD has given their brothers rest.
- Hebrews 4:8-9 (BSB)“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”Hebrews teaches that Joshua’s rest was not the final one, since a Sabbath rest still remains for God’s people.
General
True or False: In 1:9 God tells Joshua not to fear, because God will be with him in every place he goes.
Answer: True
This is true. In 1:9 God reminds Joshua that He Himself has commanded strength and bravery. Joshua must not give way to fear or lose heart, because his God will be with him in every place he goes. The cure for fear is not a bigger army but the presence of God. Moses had given all Israel the same encouragement, telling them not to be afraid because the LORD goes with them (Deuteronomy 31:6). Centuries later God spoke the same comfort through Isaiah, telling His people not to fear because He is with them and will strengthen and help them (Isaiah 41:10).
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God repeats His command to courage and gives the reason: He is with Joshua everywhere he goes.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.””Moses had told all Israel not to fear because the LORD goes with them.
- Isaiah 41:10 (BSB)“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”God later tells His people not to fear because He is with them and will help them.
Theological
True or False: In 1:9 the ground of Joshua’s courage is that God is present with him in every place he goes.
Answer: True
This is true. In 1:9 the LORD presses His command for courage with a rhetorical question and forbids fear and discouragement, grounding it in His abiding presence with Joshua wherever he goes. Courage is commanded, but its basis lies outside Joshua in God’s covenant presence. Moses had given the same ground to the whole congregation (Deuteronomy 31:6), and Isaiah 41:10 repeats it to a later generation: God’s presence and help remove the reason for fear.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God repeats His command to courage and gives the reason: He is with Joshua everywhere he goes.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.””Moses had told all Israel not to fear because the LORD goes with them.
- Isaiah 41:10 (BSB)“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”God later tells His people not to fear because He is with them and will help them.
General
What did Joshua remind the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh they must do (1:12-15)?
Answer: Their fighting men must cross ahead of their brothers armed and help them
Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh had already received land east of the Jordan (the Transjordan) from Moses. Joshua reminds them of what Moses commanded: their wives, children, and livestock could stay in that land, but all their warriors must cross over armed, ahead of the other tribes, and fight beside them until God had settled the others in peace in their own land too. Only then could they go home (1:12-15). Moses had made this agreement with them in Numbers 32:20-22 and repeated it in Deuteronomy 3:18-20. Chapter 4 shows they kept their word and crossed armed for battle (Joshua 4:12-13). The whole nation was to share in the fight for the land God gave.
- Joshua 1:12-15 (BSB)“But to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, until the LORD gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the east side of the Jordan.””Joshua reminds Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh of Moses’ command to fight alongside the other tribes until they too have rest.
- Numbers 32:20-22 (BSB)“Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him, then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.”Moses had agreed that these tribes could keep the eastern land if their armed men crossed and fought until the land was subdued.
- Deuteronomy 3:18-20 (BSB)“At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites. But your wives, your children, and your livestock—I know that you have much livestock—may remain in the cities I have given you, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as He has to you, and they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you.””Moses had told their warriors to cross armed while their families and livestock stayed behind until their brothers had rest.
- Joshua 4:12-13 (BSB)“The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.”Chapter 4 records that these tribes did cross armed for battle, as Moses had instructed.
Theological
What obligation does Joshua lay on the Transjordan tribes in 1:12-15?
Answer: Their fighting men must cross ahead of their brothers armed and help them
Joshua recalls Moses’ word to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh: God had already settled them in peace in their eastern territory, but their warriors must cross armed before the other tribes and fight beside them until those tribes also have rest, after which they may return (1:12-15). The terms come from the agreement of Numbers 32:20-22, restated in Deuteronomy 3:18-20, and 4:12-13 records their compliance. Israel’s inheritance is one national gift, and no tribe may settle into its own portion while the others still fight.
- Joshua 1:12-15 (BSB)“But to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, until the LORD gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the east side of the Jordan.””Joshua reminds Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh of Moses’ command to fight alongside the other tribes until they too have rest.
- Numbers 32:20-22 (BSB)“Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him, then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.”Moses had agreed that these tribes could keep the eastern land if their armed men crossed and fought until the land was subdued.
- Deuteronomy 3:18-20 (BSB)“At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites. But your wives, your children, and your livestock—I know that you have much livestock—may remain in the cities I have given you, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as He has to you, and they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you.””Moses had told their warriors to cross armed while their families and livestock stayed behind until their brothers had rest.
- Joshua 4:12-13 (BSB)“The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho.”Chapter 4 records that these tribes did cross armed for battle, as Moses had instructed.